Fox River Grove Rejoices As Edgar Signs Train Bill

Against the advice of his transportation experts, Gov. Jim Edgar on Thursday signed into law a bill requiring commuter trains to slow down as they pass through Fox River Grove, site of a 1995 train-bus crash that killed seven high school students.

The new law requires Metra trains to reduce speed to 50 from 70 m.p.h. for about three years, starting Jan. 1. But Metra officials said they would reduce train speeds voluntarily starting Monday.

"The tragic accident involving a school bus and a commuter train at a Fox River Grove crossing in 1995 underscored the need to make sure railroad crossings in Illinois are as safe and reliable as they can be," Edgar said in a statement.

"We must take every precaution to guard against future tragedies like the accident in Fox River Grove two years ago."

Edgar's Illinois Department of Transportation as well as the Illinois Commerce Commission, made up of members appointed by the governor, opposed the bill. A study they produced at Edgar's request found no correlation between train speed and safety at the state's 9,962 rail grade crossings.

Train speed was not a factor in the Fox River Grove crash that spawned the legislation, according to the National Traffic Safety Board, which investigated the incident.

But parents of children killed in the crash this spring urged the General Assembly to establish some safeguards. They testified before committees, buttonholed legislators and lined the Capitol's visitor galleries as lawmakers cast their votes.

"We're thrilled that Gov. Edgar signed this," said Cathy Kalte.

Her son, Joe, 16, was among the Cary-Grove High School students killed that October morning when their bus stopped at the Algonquin Road crossing after only partially clearing the tracks.

Within seconds, as screaming teenagers scrambled toward the front of the bus, the train, which had been traveling at 70 m.p.h., smashed into the vehicle's rear.

"The accident was a horrific thing for us," said Fox River Grove Mayor Stephen Tasch. "This closes this particular chapter for us, at least temporarily."

Despite his experts' reservations, Edgar had no qualms about signing the bill, spokesman Thomas Hardy said.

The governor saw the temporary program as a "reasonable compromise" between the emotions of the community and the recommendations of transportation professionals, Hardy said.

"We were not confident at all that he would sign it," said Tom Fulham, who made several trips to Springfield to push for the measure. His 15-year-old daughter, Stephanie, was killed in the crash.

Fulham added, "We thought that was a farce of a study" that Edgar commissioned.

The speed restrictions are part of a 37-month pilot program intended to give officials time to assess whether slower speeds can improve train safety.

The Regional Transportation Authority and the commerce commission will conduct their study through Feb. 1, 2001. If trains fail to observe the speed limit, the RTA, the oversight board for Metra, would lose its state funding.

Metra officials said voluntarily complying with the law months ahead of its effective date would be "an important step in the healing process for a community that is still recovering from the tragedy."

But lawmakers and parents chided the rail agency for steadfastly refusing to reduce its speeds until the slowdown became state law. The rail agency has maintained that slower trains could cost it $4 million a year.

"Metra did the right thing," said state Rep. Cal Skinner Jr. (R-Crystal Lake), who sponsored the bill in the House. "I just wish Metra did not need to be forced to do it `voluntarily' by a state law."

Still, officials at the commuter rail agency continued to dispute any relationship between train speed and safety.

"While recognizing the feelings of the family and friends of the students who lost their lives at the Algonquin Road grade crossing, Metra takes this opportunity to once again remind all concerned that slower trains do not guarantee greater safety at railroad crossings, as federal statistics show," the rail agency said in a statement.